DC Universe Online set to go free-to-play in October

After being on shelves for just under 10 months, Sony Online Entertainment’s DC Universe Online is going the free-to-play route.

IGN is reporting that this October, both PlayStation 3 and PC gamers will be able to download the game for free. SOE hopes to make money on in-game microtransactions, encuraging players to buy with a “Premium” title.

The “Premium” title comes to players who have spend at least $5 on items. Benefits include additional character slots, additional inventory, and more. There will also be a “Legendary” service available for a $14.99 a month fee. This includes more than 15 character slots, over 80 inventory slots, and more. This also comes with all of the DLC packs at no additional cost.

The switch from monthly pricing to F2P isn’t a response to a drop in subscriptions, SOE executive producer Lorin Jameson tells IGN.

“This is the right business model,” Jameson says. “If I can be honest, the game ended up costing a lot more than we thought it would, and this was our preferred business model from day one.”

DC Universe Online Going Free to Play [IGN]